Don’t take our parking

The issue is part of a development application (DA) for the redevelopment of the Central Hotel site in Gipps Street.

The plan includes 2625 square metres of commercial space, 570 square metres of offices and 76 basement car parking spaces.

The new facility would be accessed by vehicles using Clark Lane as an ingress point with the deletion of nine Carp Street parking bays between Gipps and Canning streets to cater for a slip lane for vehicles turning into the lane.

The DA also includes a reduction in the mandatory number of car parking spaces in lieu of conserving heritage aspects of the hotel.

Three submissions - one of which represented 14 others - against the proposal were made to council before its meeting on Tuesday, while another spoke in favour of the plan.

The speakers said they were basically in favour of the redevelopment but held real concerns about access and parking.

In an impassioned address, Paul Blacka spoke for the group of “very concerned business and property owners” and said their “very strenuous objection” was based on three points: The inadequacy of Clark Lane as an ingress point; the calculation of car parking spaces and the loss of Carp Street parking.

Mr Blacka said Clark Lane was much too narrow.

“I urge all councillors to grab a pram or shopping trolley and walk down Clark Lane with even a car going past,” Mr Blacka said.

“I question also who is going to monitor the maximum size 12.5 metre trucks using the entry.”

Mr Blacka said parking bays that will be removed from in front of Westpac Bank, O’Neill’s dentist and Blomfields solicitors were regularly used by elderly patrons who needed short-term access.

“The three spaces to disappear from in front of Mal’s Pizza Bite are a major asset in the day-to-day running of this vibrant business,” he said.

“If he loses 5 customers a day... it could mean the difference between a successful business and another empty shop in Carp Street.”

Mr Blacka said “that this proposal has even got this far and having to speak against it I not only find absurd and offensive I can’t fathom the lack of plain commonsense and fair play”.

Another objector, bu-siness owner Warren Page, agreed with Mr Blacka but said on closer analysis the loss of parking spots could be even worse.

“I want to say that I do not oppose this development but I do object to the proposed truck routes and parking issues raised and the effect on adjoining businesses,” he said.

“My aim is to draw attention to the need to look at the overall CBD traffic situation and adopt a plan which will provide a long-term best result for Bega; a plan that will eventually allow Carp Street to be for pedestrians and shoppers and not for trucks and through traffic.

“I know that is down the track but it is important we look at that before we adopt a whole lot of individual developments.”

Mr Page showed a plan where trucks would leave the Coles car park and either turn right or left into Carp Street which would mean deleting more than nine spaces.

“It’s not nine lost, it is more like17-20 spots we’re losing which is half the prime spaces now used in our shopping area which we’re all trying to create and build up.”

Mr Page said he was not criticising the developers, rather it was the overall scheme that needed to be looked at.

Graeme Blomfield, noted that when council approved the Coles development it recognised “car parking be retained for locals and visitors adjacent to owners and lessee businesses to maintain viability”.

He said the Coles development approval stated that access from Clark Lane was confined to cars and small trucks and the standard of lane was constructed for that use only and delivery access for trucks was from Parker Street.

Mr Blomfield said the implied suggestion that “young and old should park in the council car park is ludicrous”.

“I oppose any slip lanes in front of my premises,” he said.

Mr Blomfield suggested there should be restrictions on three to five deliveries a week and to ban any trucks larger than the proposed 12.5 metres in length from entering Clark Lane.

Another suggestion from Mr Blomfield was that there were some areas in which council might not have legally complied.

However, Mr Blomfield said he was not totally against the proposal.

“I support a reasonable and responsible scale development on this site (but) the various objections have not been dealt with or answers provided,” he said.

Speaking on behalf of the developers Hoyland Constructions, Ken Gordon said the proposal would “transform currently unproductive undeveloped land into an up-to-date retail shopping floor in the town centre”.

Mr Gordon said that vehicular access was not available from Gipps Street and the heritage listed hotel building must be retained.

“Clark Lane is the only legal and practical access available for the land,” he said.

“The applicant is providing land for the public from the hotel site and the Salvation Army building to assist in forming appropriate pedestrian and vehicular access available for the land.”

Mr Gordon said he believed the development was an essential component of the Bega town centre development and that it had complied with all requests regarding heritage, access and RTA requirements.

“I am sure councillors will note this application has been at council for 11 months now,” he said.

“Staff have thoroughly re-searched and reported and have recommended it for approval and the issue of consent.”

When the matter came before council later it was deferred in keeping with council’s code of meeting practice.

General manager Peter Tegart said discussions were continuing regarding access and parking, but they might take longer than the three weeks before the next council meeting to be completed so the matter would come before council again when appropriate.

The full report can be seen at council’s website under meeting agenda for Tuesday May 5.